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This blog will mainly focus on crime in and around Southwest Missouri....Winner Of Springfield Blogger's Association: ROOKIE BLOG OF THE YEAR 2009--WINNER News or Current Events Blog Of The Year 2010
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A jury has recommended that a man from Kansas should die for murdering his aunt, uncle and cousin four years ago.

Robert Blake Blurton was found guilty (06-15-13) of three counts of first-degree murder on Friday for the triple homicides of Donnie, Sharon and Taron Luetjen who were found murdered in the Cole Camp home. On Saturday, the jury recommended that he should die.

Lawyers for Blurton say the plan to file a motion for a motion for a new trial.

Blurton, 49, whose trial was moved to Clay County on a change of venue, has been in and out of jail since he was a teenager.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9th.

The following story was published the shortly after Blurton was charged in the triple homicide:

Investigative reports into The Cole Camp Murders allege that someone who listened to the enhanced 9-1-1 recording made to the Cole Camp police department, "removed the earphones and said....it was Robbie."

The probable cause statement indicates that the last person to see Sharon and TaronLuetjen alive was a woman who had dropped her vehicle off late Sunday evening to be serviced by Donnie Luetjen.

It also indicates that at least part of the actual crime in progress was captured on tape when someone called 9-1-1 from a cell phone inside the Leutjens home on Sunday june 7th. When the 9-1-1 operator called back the phone went straight to voicemail.

The redacted records say:

"The telephone recording system at the Central Dispatch trapped the incoming telephone number prior to the call being terminated ... during the course of the investigation and examination ... it was determined that one of the male voices was directing Sharon Luetjen to sit down, put her arms behind her and at least two threats to shoot her and the other two victims."

Ten days after the murders, police interviewed an unidentified person, who listened to the audio recording of the 9-1-1 call.

"After hearing the recording the unidentified person was asked by Sheriff Fajen if (person) recognized the male voices. The (person) shook their head in an affirmative manner. Each time (the person) listed to the recording, (the person's) lower lip began quivering and (the person's) breathing rate increased," according to the police records. "(The person) was then instructed to listen to the recording at a lower speed. When (the person) listened to the recording ... (the person) removed the earphones and said ... it was Robbie."

"Robbie" is allegedly Robert Blurton, the nephew of Donnie and Sharon Luetjen, who has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his relatives.

The probable cause statement says, "Blurton told investigators he had not physically seen Donnie or Sharon since the night before he went to prison in 2003," according to the records.

Investigators state in the probable cause statement that Robert Blurton lived with the Luetjens at 802 Elm Street before he went to prison in 2003. "Based on his living with the Luetjens, he would have knowledge of their habits and mannerisms. He would have knowledge of the Luetjens possessions and monies Donnie and Sharon might have stored or concealed inside the residence and shop."

Investigators believe that Blurton knew where, "weapons, firearms and artifacts were kept in the house."

Although authorities believe that robbery appears to have been the motive in the Luetjens deaths, it appears that Donnie Luetjens valuable Native American artifacts and Civil War memorabilia were still in the home....money and weapons appear to be the only things missing, according to the report.

During the course of the investigation cops interviewed Robert Blurton's brother, Marvin "Travis" Blurton. He told investigators that his brother may have owed money to inmates he associated with while in lockup. Travis Blurton told cops that he was contacted in June by an inmate who had served time with his brother who was attempting to locate "Robbie." Travis Blurton told cops that, "his brother Robbie has some pretty shady friends that would be worth checking out." He also provided investigators with two cellular telephone numbers.

Investigators interviewed Robert Blurton several times during the course of the investigation, according to the Probable Cause Statement. "During these interviews, Robert Blurton gave several different stories as to his whereabouts during the time of the homicides. On one of the interviews Robert unable to give us a verifiable account of where he was at or what he was doing at the time of the homicides."

One of Robert Blurtons alibis is that, "he spent Monday night following the Luetjen murders at the Economy Inn in Garnett, Kansas, because of a disagreement between him and (redacted name.) The argument and eventual motel stay took place the evening following the murders."

Robert Blurton has a pretty extensive criminal history that includes twelve felony convictions. A source says that Betty Blurton, Sharon Luetjens sister and the mother of Robbie Blurton, asked her sister shortly before her death several years ago to look after Robbie when he got of jail. The Luetjens helped Robbie Blurton, "get a vehicle and a place to live when he got out," according to the source.

Authorities believe that at least one other person is involved in the Luetjens murders and today (06-30-09,) the Rural Missouri Major Case Squad reconvened and are following up on tips that have come into law enforcers over the last three weeks.

Blurton, is being held in the Allen County, KS, jail on a three million dollar cash only bond and is fighting extradition to Missouri.

UPDATE (07-05-09): The Cole Camp police department did NOT send an officer out to follow up on the lost 9-1-1 call on June 7th. The department utilizes Phase One technology, that only lets dispatchers know what cell phone tower is nearest to the originating call.

4
comments:

I think it's deplorable that Cole Camp Police Department did not send an officer out to check on this lost 911 call. I myself was a police officer for nearly 15 years and you always respond to 911 calls, regardless of the situation. They might have saved 3 lives that night...they really, really dropped the ball!

The 911 call was from a cell phone, so no address was available for the police to respond. Dispatch only knew the general area the call came from, and having not heard any voices in the call, it did not seem worrisome.

But ideally, yes, they should have determined the owner of the phone and figured out the most likely residence address. Such a sad and tragic outcome.